


Thirteen Ways of Looking at Rampancy

by Knightqueen



Category: Halo
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Canonical Character Death, Friendship, Gen, Gen Fic, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Language, Poetry, Ratings: PG, Spoilers, freeform poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-19
Updated: 2012-11-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 01:15:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/567383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knightqueen/pseuds/Knightqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A freeform poem based on the Cortana's rampancy in Halo 4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thirteen Ways of Looking at Rampancy

**Disclaimer:**   _Halo_  and all things related are property of Microsoft, Bungie and 343 Industries (and some other guys I'm probably forgetting, but can't care to remember).

* * *

**I**

1 day, seven hours, six seconds

Cryosleep initiated almost twenty hours ago

Five minutes before auto-deactivation

**II**

1 year, two months, three days

Dawn drifts without a rescue

Life signs reading stable and normal

**III**

2 years, eight months, six days

No changes, reading stable and normal

**IV**

3 years, twelve months, eleven days

Hull structure showing signs of deterioration

Three Chieftains, one Master, petty-petty officer

Sierra, Sierra, one, one, seven, seven

**V**

4 years, six months, nine days

The Arbiter of the Covenant

Sits with the Keyes to Halo

Installations hold to very life

Abandon all hope ye who remain there

**VI**

4 years, seven months, ten days

 _Forward Unto Dawn_ , zero, zero, Sierra

Unusual life signs, gamma activity

Auto-deactivation disengaged

Life signs diminished, functions corrosive

Wake up, John, Sierra, one, one

**VII**

Leap without looking, interior hull comprised

Side blinded, covenant soldier, "foe?"

"I thought we had pact with the Covenant?"

Therein lies the enemy of absence, space

Forerunner, Prothians, flying  _Unto Dawn_

**VIII**

Gnawing, itching, human, heat

Transparent, flesh, human

Thinking, compiling, machine, man

Frightened, it's death in the palm of your hand

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep."

**IX**

Al Rio lived in the casino, creased in wrinkles

Suckled the thumb of privilege, soft-belly folly

I'm not old, you're just bloated, basic ironmongery

**X**

You're insane' she says, 'I'm in saner'

Halsey, John, Catherine, Spartan

'Condescending bitch, I beat you at chess'

**XI**

Old age, older worlds, turtle faced wisdom

Hull integrity standing at sixty percent

I watched them die, listened to their bodies crumble

Homostadial,  _Pillar of Autumn_ ,  _Forward Unto Dawn_

Reinforce the chance, maximize the lie,

It's not over, not yet, not yet

**XII**

I'll always protect you, I'll always take care of you

Aging Spartan, deteriorative silicone of transparency

**XIII**

Hull structure comprised, silicone shattered

I gave him the chance, he performed admirably

Just like he always would, he did it

Hard light, battered armor, staccato heart

We go together, I stay behind, look after the one

Welcome home John, don't forget me

* * *

**FIN.**


End file.
